TV Review (LCD, Plasma, Projectors)

First forget about old fashioned Tubes (if you've ever heard of them). The major competitors for your viewing pleasure are the:

• Plasma TV: Many tiny cells between two panels of glass hold an inert mixture of noble gases. The gas in the cells is electrically turned into a plasma which then excites phosphors to emit light(from wikipedia)


• LCD TV: "A liquid crystal display (LCD) is an electronically-modulated optical device shaped into a thin, flat panel made up of any number of color or monochrome pixels filled with liquid crystals and arrayed in front of a light source (backlight) or reflector" (from wikipedia)


• Rear projection: "CRT rear projection tvs were the earliest, and while they were the first televisions to exceed 40", they were also bulky and the picture was unclear at close range. Newer technologies include DLP (reflective micromirror chip), LCD projectors, and LCoS" (from wikipedia)


• Front Projector: "All video projectors use a very bright light to project the image, and most modern ones can correct any curves, blurriness, and other inconsistencies through manual settings. Video projectors are widely used for conference room presentations, classroom training, home theatre and live events applications"(from wikipedia)

If you know precisely what brand, size, resolution, and type of TV/home viewing system you want you can safely skip this section. For the rest of you please read on. (Thanks in advance for some information from HowStuffWorks)

BUDGET What do you reasonably want the upper limit of your home viewing system to be? Larger and higher quality systems generally have a bigger price tag.

BRAND Simply put, which brand(s) are you comfortable with purchasing? When a TV has a hardware issue, it can be a real pain in the rear. Some of the common brands are SONY, Pioneer, Samsung, Sharp, Vizio, Westinghouse, Epson, Sanyo, Panasonic, etc.

SPACE How much free space do you have for the system? How much room will there be between the viewer and the TV/Screen?

RESOLUTION Most newer home viewing systems will be 1080p (1920x1080) replacing the older 720p, and 1080i. Resolution Tables is an excellent description of the various viewing resolutions.

BACK LIGHT How much ambient light will you generally have in the viewing area? Higher amounts of ambient light will require stronger projectors (higher Lumens/Intensity ~10,000), or brighter TVs (for displaying movies, a brighter luminance rating such as 500-1000 candelas per square meter (cd/m2) is (desirable). Back light will also affect the quality of the contrast you desire (typically quality systems have 500:1 up to 1000:1).

VIEWING ANGLE Where will viewers be sitting relative to the TV/Screen. Many rear projection systems will have a much weaker signal to their sides as well as the top and bottom.

RESPONSE RATE "The response rate indicates how fast the monitor's pixels can change colors. Faster is better because it reduces the ghosting effect when an image moves, leaving a faint trial in such applications as videos or games." Generally the human eye will see relative smooth transition at 60hz+.

APPEARANCE How will the TV/Screen mesh with the design of your viewing room? Are you concerned about it's look at all? Most thin screens are fairly sleek but require a substantial stand.

TEMPERATURE Many large models generate a large amount of heat when active for a period of time. Make sure it's in a safe location, or plan for cooler alternatives (Projector/Screen or Rear view Projector).

WARRANTY is the standard manufacturers warranty ok, or do you prefer the extended version?

After getting a clear image of what you'd like to spend your nickles on, you're ready to get knee deep in the steaming pile that is TV tech jargon. Allow me to take the place of your all too personal hip waders by breaking down these spooky animals into something you can swing a bat at (am I pushing the analogies too far?).

Wikipedia specifications page has a short list of key parameters.

There's also a fairly popular article in the Associated Press "Glossary for high-definition TV Shoppers" here are some links. I've included a copy of it here for your perusal:

"Some useful terms to know when shopping for a high-definition TV set:
24p, or 1080p24: A set with this feature can show 24 frames per second, exactly the way movies are shot. Cinephiles may notice smoother, more cinematic images, but the feature works only with Blu-ray players connected by HDMI cables.
120 Hz: The display will smooth out motion, making scenes with action or a moving camera look sharper.
720p: The display has low resolution but is still high-definition. Adequate for screens smaller than 40 inches, or ones meant to be watched from more than 12 feet away.
1080p: The display has high resolution. Good for screens larger than 40 inches, or ones used for gaming or for Blu-ray playback.
Aspect ratio: The size relationship between the set's width and height. This is nearly always 16:9.
ATSC: This tuner lets a set receive free TV through an antenna.
Composite: This is a low-quality video connector for older game consoles and VCRs. Cannot carry a high-definition signal.
Component: A high-quality, three-lead connector for game consoles, DVD players and cable boxes. Can carry a high-definition signal but is not quite as good as HDMI.
Contrast ratio: Essentially, how black the black parts of the picture look, compared with how bright the whites are. In general, higher is better.
Energy Star qualified: Look for sets qualified under the most recent rules, Energy Star 3.0. These specify a maximum power consumption when the set is in use. The older rules specify the consumption when the set is on standby - when the screen is off.
HDMI: An input for a digital connector cable that carries both audio and video. This is the latest and highest-quality way to connect a TV to a set-top box, game console or DVD player.
NTSC: This is a tuner for analog broadcast TV. These signals are going away this year, so it's not needed.
Plasma: Most people opt for LCD sets, which are brighter and stand out in stores. But a plasma set can be a good choice if you're looking for a flat panel that's 42 inches or bigger. They are capable of excellent image quality. But be aware that the glossy front glass can show distracting reflections.
VGA: An input for a computer video signal. Many newer computers can use the higher-quality HDMI inputs instead, so VGA is not essential.
Virtual surround sound: This means the TV set's built-in speakers will attempt to produce the enveloping sound of a home theater setup. "

The short history:
Earlier models of LCDs had lower refresh rates and some graphical anomalies for fast motion, but those have been corrected for in more recent models. Some earlier Plasma TVs had relatively shorter lifespans than LCDs but more vivid colors.
Most of the discriminants between LCDs and Plasmas are gone, as both are converging on becoming a viewing commodity In the past year or so LCDs have taken a noticeable market lead.

I really enjoyed the article by Chris Martens concerning this debate. His experiences at the recent CES show suggest that Plasma TVs are still optimal display systems even though LCD TVs are gaining market ground (perhaps do to other features besides viewing quality). "Based on observations I made at CES, and judging purely on the basis of observable picture quality, it seems to me that plasma TVs still set the "gold standard" that LCD TVs are chasing (except in the area of absolute brightness, where LCD technology holds the high ground)."